SD Picture Quality

[Aragon]

I am interested in buying a DLP real soon but I cannot find anyone who can answer the basic questions I have. Any help would be appreciated. I have D*TV right now, and plan on upgrading to a HD receiver.

1. I have seen in the showrooms that when a HD feed is present, it shows the appropriate 16:9 ratio. When a SD commercial comes on, the monitor immediately switches to 4:3, then back to 16:9, etc. What is driving this function? Is it the HD receiver, the TV or both?

2. I have seen Di*h Net programming playing on Sammy DLP's and even the SD feed was clear with no 'graininess' with full screen viewing and I have seen in the D*TV feeds on the same TV with terrible PQ. What is the difference in the feeds? How are they able to accomplish this?

Thanks, I just do not want to 'live with the PQ' I want to dive in with the best info on service and programming.

 

[Van]

It can be both I believe, I know that the tv will auto adjust definitely.

The diference in direct and dish hd feeds and sd feeds is that direct has alot more content crammed into a single satellite than dish does, look at like a subway car at 7am as compared to 2am in new york. Go up to the dish network forum and do a search for pq up there, theres some good info from alot of people there.

Best thing to do is to check around at the specialty stores instead of the chain stores, chain store employee's generaly only get basic training on the equipment or none at all.

 

[glenn z]

The TV will not adjust if connected via DVI or HDMI. It will assume the feed is HD. Most set-top boxes have the abaility to stretch SD and show HD in normal format.

I've found the SD PQ on my Sammy DLP to be good with both D* & Comcast.

 

[Sean Mota]

Don't expect great things for a DLP/LCD display (HDTV) on SD material. You will calibrate, calibrate, calibrate and you will run out of time and patience and will never be able to get satisfaction of watching SD content. Those TVs were made to watch HDTV. Like everyone said the compression scheme that the providers are currently using for SD channels has ruined the SD channels via satellite. In a nutshell, don't expect too much.

 

[Aragon]

So would I be better off with a LCD instead? We have relatives that indicate they have obsolutely no problems with LCD and SD, although they use Comcast.

I can switch to Comcast, but will lose my beloved NFL package.

 

[Sean Mota]

I do not know if you are going to be happy with what you get. SD is very dissapointing to watch. I have both the samsung DLP and the Sony LCD. The LCD off the box did a better job on the SD channels than the DLP but it was nothing to impress you. HDTVs were made not to watch SD material. That's the attitude I have. If I want to watch SD material, I go to the CRT 32".

 

[korsjs]

can you go to a local store and look at an SD feed? most anaglog channels do not look good on a big screen.

 

[bpickell]

You guys having problems with SD PQ on your big screen must have giant tv's. I have a 46" Toshiba HD set and SD quality is just as good as it is on my 35" NTSC Set.

The only thing I don't like is the channels that do fake widescreen. They make it look like wide screen in 4:3 format, so I can't get rid of the bars.

 

[Aragon]

Thanks to all.

 

[Van]

Samsung has a dlp tv that sits on a pedestal where the lightsource is located. I hooked up one of these today and the sd pq was actually very good, much better than what I would have expected. Ofcourse it was on a 942 with a hdmi hookup but it was impressive.

 

[Poke]

SD is just that SD!! Dont matter if you have LCD,DPL or whatever SD PQ is bad due to how it is broadcast! Untill the Networks of those channels go to HD Broadcasting or update their equipment SD will not look much better. So just dont go out and spend allot of money on a set thinking that SD will look better it wont. Unitll SD Neworks improve on their end you will not see really any diffrence on how things look.

 

[Aragon]

I guess the fundamental question I had was how can SD on Dish look that much better than DTV.

Again, thanks to all.